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Take a walk on the green side

Pragmatic philanthropists, rejoice! There’s a sustainable momentum taking the corporate world by storm. More and more enterprises are embracing corporate social responsibility and adopting green initiatives. The primordial aim of such a strategy is clear: creating a more responsible, viable way of doing business. But it also has a great impact when it comes to brand image.

If you haven’t done so, here are the top reasons why you should definitely hop on board!

Setting sustainable goals is the ultimate way to trigger the creation of innovating products and services. Whether eco-friendly loans that will incite people to install solar panels or shampoos that need less water thereby saving our planet’s natural resources, these new ways of interacting with the world that surround us are the best way to put innovation at the service of a good cause.

But rest assured, you don’t necessarily have to invest in research and development to make a change. Think of the contribution you can make by simply opting for lighter packaging or implementing a “print less” policy. Needless to highlight to positive repercussions this will have on your budget.

Such initiatives will also impact your business marketing-wise by helping you reach brand differentiation. For the past decades, this was one of the main reasons for which companies embraced a more responsible behavior. More than a way to distinguish itself from competition, brand differentiation helps build a special bond with both the staff and clientele. Millennials are reshaping the way brands act: more than their wealth, they are looking for jobs, clothes, food, rides and banks that reflect their values more than their wealth.

Traditionally, companies adopted sustainability strategies in order to comply with government regulations and avoid fines. Now leading-edge corporations are embracing the concept of sustainability in order to be a part of the conversation on environmental policy", says Eliot Metzger, a senior associate at the World Resources Institute. And if you’re not planning to play big, keep in mind that each and every company has its own way of becoming involved in CSR.